The invention relates to the field of amusement devices, particularly rolling ball games and more specifically, to drop targets and ramp elements provided as playfield features.
Rolling ball games, including pinball games, typically include an inclined playfield housed within a game cabinet and having mounted thereon, a number of playfield features such as bumpers, ramps, targets, slots and the like. The playfield features influence the motion of the game ball, which is projected towards the features by flippers that are controlled by the game player. Pinball games appeal to players because of the novel arrangement of game features that make the game challenging and exciting to play. Generally, increased interaction between the player and the game means increased appeal. As players become more skilled at a particular game, however, the game loses its challenge and appeal. In order to maintain player interest and to satisfy the needs of the pinball game markets, novel game features and arrangements are constantly required.
Drop targets are a popular pinball game playfield feature. They typically consist of a planar plastic target element which rises through a slot in the game playfield. The target is movable between a raised and lowered position and is activated by striking it with the game ball. The target element is equipped with a catch mechanism below the playfield so that when the target is in its raised position and struck by the game ball, the catch is displaced and the target element, under spring tension, is retracted into the playfield and hidden from the player's view. At an appropriate time, a reset mechanism, which usually incorporates a solenoid, forces the target back to a position where it projects from the playfield and resets the catch mechanism. For examples of prior art drop targets, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,943,061 and 4,257,604 which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Some pinball games are equipped with elevated play features, including, for example, a smaller playfield elevated above the main playfield. Access to such elevated features is provided by ramp elements or other devices which may lift the ball from one playfield to the higher one. Typically, a player must activate a combination of features to allow the game ball access to the elevated playfield. Such arrangements usually require elaborate mechanical features or intricate ramp elements and are therefore, somewhat costly and complex to manufacture (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,748 to Krutsch and U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,058 to Trudeau et al). Moreover, such devices occupy a relatively large portion of the playfield or at least hide a portion of it from the player's view, thereby limiting the number of other features that may be incorporated on the playfield or reducing the player's ability to track the game ball as it rolls.
There is thus desired a device for permitting the game ball to access an elevated playfield or other elevated game feature, which device is simple to manufacture and occupies minimal playfield space and which is easily adaptable to existing playfield features.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved drop target which when activated, permits access to an elevated game feature.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a drop target which is capable of serving as a ball ramp.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the remaining portion of the specification and the drawings.